About the Book Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty: Seeker of the music within is an in-depth account of the life, work and ideas of one of the most eminent vocalists of our times. The book is an outcome of an intense exchange between the incisive perspective of the author and the soul-searching memories of a musician, both weaving together into a seamless narrative of a biographical mural.

Sensitively exploring Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty's early life, including his initiation into music and the role of his gurus, his emergence as a classical singer, his unbounded approach to music, his collaborations with stalwarts of other genres, his creating a whole new language to teach music, his establishing Shrutinandan-a unique institution for imparting classical music education to young learners-and the spiritual ethos of his music, the narrative flows through the melody of his life illuminating its key moments and inspirations.

Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty: Seeker of the music within illustrates the potential that every human being carries within oneself to surpass excellence. It is the story of a person who believes that the musical note is God and that this musical bounty needs to be shared limitlessly to create a music-loving world. It is also the journey of a maestro who was not born into a gharana but has come a long way to become an institution himself.

About the Author Writer, composer, explorer of history, philosophy, art and architecture, Shyam Banerji has been closely associated with music and musicians of all genres. He is known for his deep journeys into the relationship between music and spirituality and his inspiring exposition of the theme. A believer in the boundlessness of creativity, he has designed many heritage and value education modules for children, produced and directed over 30 documentary films, written songs sung by top singers of the country and produced music for landmark stage productions. Classical music television programmes conducted by him are today an invaluable part of music archives. Shyam Banerji, along with his creative partner Ruma Dasgupta, has also designed Swanubhooti Vatika, an award-winning Enlightenment Park based on the wisdom of the Upanishads, near Pune, Maharashtra.

Shyam has worked closely with Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty on many interesting projects. This book is a journey across a long association with Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty's life, music and vision.

**Contents and Sample Pages**